1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a refill cartridge for a chemical dispensing bottle, and more particularly to an easy to use refill cartridge integrated into the bottle cap.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known in the art to employ the use of a bottle to store and dispense a fluid. For instance, cleaners, cosmetics, and other fluids are commonly sold in bottles, which include an opening, spout or pumping mechanism to facilitate dispensing by a user. After repeated use of the bottle, the amount of liquid in the bottle decreases to the point where the bottle is effectively empty.
Once the bottle is empty, many users are inclined to throw the empty bottle away and purchase a new bottle, despite the fact that the empty bottle is still capable of storing and dispensing fluid. Given that a typical bottle is generally designed to hold a small amount of fluid (i.e., one quart) or a large bulk amount of fluid, a user may quickly consume all of the fluid contained within the bottle. As such, a large number of bottles may be used over a short period of time. Furthermore, many bottles are formed out of environmentally harmful materials, such as plastics. Therefore, large consumption of such bottles may have detrimental effects on the environment.
As an alternative to buying a new bottle upon emptying a previous bottle, a user can oftentimes purchase a refill which usually contains a smaller amount of the fluid in a higher concentration. The fluid in the refill can be poured into the bottle and mixed with water or other diluting fluids to fill the bottle. Purchasing a refill tends to be more environmentally friendly, as the refill container is typically smaller than the original bottle container. Furthermore, the refill tends to be less expensive than purchasing a new bottle because the refill container is generally smaller than the original bottle.
Although purchasing a refill offers certain advantages, many consumers are more likely to purchase a brand new bottle rather than purchase a refill. In this manner, many consumers have a habit of throwing away a bottle when it is empty rather than storing an empty bottle until they can buy a refill. Once the consumer throws the empty bottle away, there are precluded from purchasing a refill. In addition, when refills are sold on a shelf next to a full bottle, consumers may be inclined to purchase the new bottle rather than the refill.
As is apparent from the foregoing, there exists a need in the art for a new bottle refill and a method of distributing the refill with the bottle. The present invention addresses this particular need, as will be discussed in more detail below.